Register



March 5, 1940. a BR NNER 2,192,430

REGISTER Filed Aug. 5, 1938 jz az/em Szmzze/ fifazzner Patented Mar. 5, 1940 PATENT OFFICE REGISTER Samuel Branner, Chicago, Ill.

Application August 5,

1 Claim.

This invention relates generally to a registering device, and more particularly to a device of this character, associated with a game, such, for example, as basketball or the like, whereby the basketball goals may be registered as the same are made;

It is the main object of this invention to provide a registering device, which may be either manually or electrically operated, to register the score of a game, said registering means being of improved construction and being so assembled and constructed as to make for an economical construction, with theresult that the same may be produced along lines convenient'for low-cost manufacture, and associated with game devices that may be economically manufactured to sell at a low price. I

In the embodiment illustrated, my improved register is shown associated with a basketball game apparatus, which game is provided with an indicatory appliance, which audibly gives notice of the fact that the ball has passed through the basket and a goal is made, and when that 25 has taken place an operator may actuate my improved registering mechanism to indicate the number of goals that have thus been made.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and particularly pointed out in the appended claim, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of the structure may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

For the purpose of facilitating an understanding of my invention, I have illustrated in the ac companying drawing, a preferred embodiment thereof, from an inspection of which, when considered in connection with the following description, my invention, its mode of construction, assembly and operation, and many of its advantages should be readily understood and appreciated.

Referring to the drawing in which the same characters of reference are employed to indicate corresponding or similar parts throughout the several figures of the drawing: 7

Fig. l is a view in perspective of a basketball goal having associated therewith an embodiment of my invention; H

1938, Serial No. 223,145

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of my improved registering mechanism, with the cover plate therefor partly cut away to showthe assembly of the same;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 3-3 of Fig. 2 and in the direction of the corresponding arrows;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along line l4 of Fig. 2 and in the direction of the corresponding arrows;

Fig.5 is a sectional view, substantially along line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing more specifically by characters of reference, the numeral 1 represents a member, such as the top portion of a door, to which my improved device 2 may be attached.

In the embodiment illustrated, my improved device consists of a base plate 3, preferably formed from sheet metal, and upon the face of which is provided a scoring dial 4 having as many enumerated segments asthere are teeth upon the ratchet wheel 5, to be hereinafter more fully described, each of said segments having a numeral provided therein, said segments being arranged for cooperation with a pointer operated in a manner to be hereinafter more fully described' The base plate 3 is formed by bending the upper portion of a rectangular sheet of metal, so

that the bendextends substantially horizontally from the plate, and then further bending a smaller portion of the horizontally extending portion 6, so that the upper end of the base or bracket 3 produces, as shown in section in Fig. 3, a substantially rectangular hook portion in an inverted position. The purpose of this bent portion 6 is to detachably fasten the device 2 to some form of upright, such, for example, as the upper portion of a door or the back of a chair. leading edge of the end of the downwardly extending portion 1 is rounded outward away from the base plate 3, as shown at 8, so that when the device is slipped on to the upright, the leading edge 8 will not mar or scratch the finish or the surface of the upright to which it is being attached.

The plate portion 3 is provided adjacent its lower edge with a pair of openings or holes 9, by means of which there may be secured to said plate a suitable plate it having provided thereon a gong l l and a pivoted lever I l, the latter being arranged for disposition with relation to a basketball basket l2 supported upon a wire hook l3, whereby a ball passing through said basket will The,

actuate the lever H to sound the gong ii, thereby indicating audibly the fact that a basket goal had been made.

The hook it is supported on the plate member It by means of a pair of outwardly formed vertically extending punched-out portions 54, within which are received the downwardly bent end portions 55 of the hook 13. The engagement of said end portions iii within the punched-out portions $4 of the plate it will be effective for supporting the basket in operative position.

the mechanism so far described with reference to the basketball feature of the game forms no part of the present invention, it is not thought necessary to describe the same in more detail.

Cooperating with the dial l provided on. the front face of the plate member 3 is a pointer l9, said pointer being permanently secured to one end of a rivet it, which rivet is pivotally mounted for rotary movement in a suitable hole provided therefor in the center of the dial l. The said rivet i 6 is provided with a shoulder E? which rests against the front face of the plate member and prevents said rivet from sliding inwardly. The pointer I9 is secured to the rivet i6 by passing the free end it of the rivet through an opening in the pointer and then flattening down said free end, as shown at it, to rigidly secure the pointer to the rivet or stud l6.

To the opposite end of the rivet or stud i6 is secured on a reduced portion thereof, the ratchet wheel 5, said reduced portion being designated by the reference character which is adapted to pass through a centrally disposed opening provided therefor in the body or" the ratchet wheel 5, said ratchet wheel then being secured to the rivet by flattening out the portion 2D, as shown at to produce a rivet head. The ratchet wheel 5 is provided with a plurality of punched-out projections 22, which projections are adapted to en gage the rear face of the plate member 3 and will i be effective when the parts heretofore described are assembled to prevent any sliding movement of the rivet relative to the plate member 3.

'Mounted for engagement with the ratchet wheel 5 are a pawl and an actuating bar 26.- The pawl 23 is made from a strip of resilient metal, one end of which is broadened and bent to form a horizontally projecting angle portion 23. The pawl 23 is fixedly attached to the rear surface of the plate 3 by means of the tubular rivets E i projecting through the portion 23. The free end 25 of the pawl 23 is arranged so as to engage the teeth of the ratchet wheel 5 in such a way as to prevent rotation in one direction, but to permit rotation in the opposite direction. The actuating bar 25 consists of a strip of sheet metal formed adjacent its lower portion with a horizontally extending portion. 21', which is provided with an elongated slot 28 to slidably engage with a suitable rivet which rivet is provided with the shoulder 39 for retaining the slotted portion 2?, which slotted portion will ride on a reduced portion of said rivet or stud. The said rivet or stud 29 is adapted to be fixedly engaged within an opening provided therefor in the plate member with the free end of said stud being flattened to form a rivet head 3 i, as shown more clearly in 3 and The lowermost edge of the bar is provided with an opening 32 to receive the loop of a wire At the opposite end of the bar (it there is formed an engaging hook 33 which hook is bent substantially at right angles to the body of the bar 336, said hook being arranged to engage with the teeth of the ratchet wheel 5, as shown in Fig. 2. The free end of the bar 26 adjacent the hook or tooth 3d is provided with an opening 36, within which is received one end of a coil spring 3"], the other end of which is fixed to a portion 33 of the bracket 3, the purpose of which spring is to normally urge said bar 25 to the position shown in 2.

The operation of the device should be clearly understood from the description hereinabove given, and the same is to be associated with a game device of some sort, such, for example, as a basketball game, whereby a record may be made of the baskets or goals as the same are made. For this purpose the wire ill, the upper end of which is secured to the bottom portion of the bar extends downwardly through a suitable loop portion '1! provided in the plate member 3 for guarding the wire 50, and to the bottom end of which wire may be secured a suitable string 39,. as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Thus, every time a basketball goal is made, the operator may pull the string 35, the effect of which will be to pulldown on the against the tension of the sprin 3?, and the tooth 34 of the bar it, which is in constant engagement wth one of the teeth on the ratchet wheel 5, will cause said ratchetwheel to turn in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 2, a distance fixed by the length of the slot 28. This distance is sufiicient to permit the pointer If! to traverse one sector on the dial 6. The release of the string 39 by the operator will cause the return of the bar 215 to the position shown in Fig, 2, by spring 3?. ratchet wheel from turning in a clockwise direction and will, at the same time, be effective for holding the ratchet wheel in any position to which it has been moved by the bar The spring 3'? is so positioned with respect to the bar 26 as to cause the tooth 34 thereof to ride along the outer edge of the tooth with which it is in contact, until it has compassed the high point on said tooth and dropped into engagement with the next succeeding tooth on the ratchet wheel.

The pawl 25 will be effective for preventing any movement of the ratchet wheel by reason of the engagement of the tooth 34 the ratchet Wheel as the same is returned by action of the spring 3? to the position shown in Fig. 2.

If desired, the mechanism for actuating the pointer l9 may be provided with a suitable cover M, which consists of a backportion 45 bearing against the upright 5, two side portions 46 and 41 horizontally formed from the plate portion 45 and containing integrally formed tongues 48 fitting into slots provided therefor in the plate member 3 and securing the cover member to the plate member 3 by bending the tongues over upon assembly. The cover member 44 is also provided with a top portion 49 formed from the plate a5 and containing a. cut-out portion 50 for the clearance and passage of the spring 31. The bottom of the cover member 44 is open as at 5! to allow the passage of the wire 40, the pointer I!) being so ruggedly attached very close to the dial 4, and being so flexible, as to not be harmfully affected by the striking of a basket ball against it, said closeness to the dial, ruggedness of attachment, and flexibility of the pointer itself causing the fiight of the basket ball upon rebound therefrom to be unafiected thereby.

From the above, it will be noted, that I have provided a mechanism for registering the score The pawl will prevent the of a game, which mechanism may be constructed of only a few simple parts which may be economically assembled, and when so assembled, will be durable and efficient in operation. The dial 4 will also be effective for indicating the desired spot to be struck by the basketball tomake it fall into the basket.

It is believed that my invention, its mode of construction and assembly, and many of its advantages should be readily understood from the foregoing without further description, and it should also be manifest that while a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described for illustrative purposes, the structural details are nevertheless capable of wide variation within the purview of my invention as defined in the appended claim.

I claim:

In a device of the character described comprising a support having a front wall, said support and front wall being formed from an integral plate of material, means associated with said front wall only comprising a register, said means consisting of a stud member rotatively mounted on said front wall, a dial represented on the face of said front wall, said stud being disposed centrally of said dial, a pointer rigidly secured to said stud and adapted to cooperate in indicatory manner with said dial, a ratchet wheel rigidly attached to said stud on the rear face of said front wall and spaced from said wall by means of a plurality of circumferentially spaced rounded projections provided on said ratchet wheel, an actuating lever having a hooked portion adapted to cooperate with the teeth of said ratchet wheel, said actuating lever having an angle portion provided with a slot, said rear face of said front wall being provided with a stud member engaging said slot to limit the motion of said actuating lever, said actuating lever being biased in one direction of its motion by spring means attached thereto and connected to said support, a check pawl engaging said ratchet wheel, said check pawl being also attached to said rear face of said front wall and a member secured to said actuating lever whereby said lever may be moved to-rotate said ratchet wheel to cause said pointer to traverse said dial.

SAMUEL BRANNER. 

